CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP IN ACTION: A TALE OF FOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE HEADS OF DEPARTMENT LEADING A CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

College academic departments are central units where the curriculum (i.e., plans for student learning) is engineered. Heads of department (HoDs), being academic managers, are increasingly expected to perform more curriculum leadership tasks, maintaining and enhancing the curriculum quality and relevance, especially in a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) context. However, in practice, HoDs are reported to pay little attention to this aspect of their job due to several factors one of which is a lack of professional support for such a role. This case study investigated how four HoDs of a TVET community college perceived and enacted curriculum leadership during a curriculum development project after receiving relevant training and assistance. The findings showed that the HoDs valued the relevance and usefulness of the professional support received, which made them realize the significance of their role as curriculum leaders. The findings also indicated that the ways the HoDs enacted the curriculum leadership tasks and the challenges they encountered varied based on several factors. The conclusion drawn is that the support HoDs need and the challenges they encounter in assuming active curriculum leadership suggest their need for three professional competencies and the need for supportive organizational structures.